The 3 R’s? A Fourth Is Crucial, Too: Recess

CAROL’S SUMMARY: Research shows that recess, or play time, has a direct impact on the academic success of students. It gives the brain a rest and helps improve behavioral, attention, and concentration problems. Creativity, imagination and stress-reduction are central to recreating and playing.

Questions to consider:
1. How much recess time does your child’s school allow?
2. Can you apply this method to homework and chores?
3. How much fun is in your life? In your child’s?

ARTICLE:

By TARA PARKER-POPE,

Posted February 24, 2009 at www.nytimes.com

The best way to improve children’s performance in the classroom may be to take them out of it.

New research suggests that play and down time may be as important to a child’s academic experience as reading, science and math, and that regular recess, fitness or nature time can influence behavior, concentration and even grades.

A study published this month in the journal Pediatrics studied the links between recess and classroom behavior among about 11,000 children age 8 and 9. Those who had more than 15 minutes of recess a day showed better behavior in class than those who had little or none. Although disadvantaged children were more likely to be denied recess, the association between better behavior and recess time held up even after researchers controlled for a number of variables, including sex, ethnicity, public or private school and class size.

Visit www.nytimes.com for the entire article

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